Meeting Set Tuesday On Reassigning Barrington, Randall Students

LITHIA, FL — Lithia area middle school parents will have a chance to weigh in on a proposal that would reassign some students to schools further from their homes to ease overcrowding.

A meeting is set for Tuesday, Dec. 17 from 6 to 7 p.m. in the Rogers Middle School cafeteria, 1910 Tucker Road, Riverview.

A second meeting will take place Jan. 8 from 6 to 7 p.m. at Rogers Middle School.

The proposed attendance boundary changes will redistribute students to Guinta, Mann, Mulrennan and Rogers middle schools to help relieve overcrowding at Barrington and Randall middle schools, both of which are over capacity.

In addition to sending students to schools that are farther away, parents are concerned about the quality of education because, in some cases, students will be moved from A and B schools to C and D schools.

The plan is expected to go before the school board for a vote in February. If approved, the new attendance boundaries will go into effect in the fall of 2020.

The public meeting Tuesday and on Jan. 8 will be an open house format, allowing parents to talk to staff members, review the proposal and provide comments. Staff members from the district growth management, transportation and choice departments along with staff from the impacted schools will be available to answer questions.

Parents are also invited to explore new school choice options for their middle school students, including a new academy for sixth-graders at Sumner High School in south Hillsborough County.

Currently under construction, the high school will open in the fall and will include Academy 2027for incoming sixth-graders.

A first of its kind in Hillsborough County, the academy will allow 450 sixth-graders to attend the high school, take elective courses and even attend some classes with high school students, although the sixth-graders will be housed in a separate section of classrooms on campus for the bulk of the school day.

The academy will offer a more rigorous curriculum that includes study, research and time management skills that will prepare students for success in high school.

The application period for choice schools ends Dec. 31.